Wednesday’s Word: monomania

monomania

n. excessive concentration of interest upon one particular subject or idea

The etymology of this word isn’t difficult to figure out: mono- is a Greek prefix meaning “one” (literally, “alone”), and -mania is a Greek suffix meaning “intense enthusiasm for” (literally, “madness,” and its negative connotations were easily seen in forms like “kleptomania” or “nymphomania,” before the term was defanged by media and marketers).

I like it simply because it seems like a cool word I could use often. When I’m working on a project, for instance, I tend to work up a monomaniacal drive to squash its bugs and get it perfect. You might call me a monomaniac.